Albus was sitting in his room, listening to the commotion outside. "Pink hair?" came a roar from James. "I cannot go to school with pink hair!"
"James please just ignore it and tidy that damn room!"
"Ignore it? How can I ignore it? It's pink!" roared James, sounding slightly hysterical.
Ginny rounded on Lily instead. "Lily Potter, don't think you're wearing those to school tomorrow…" Lily appeared at Albus's doorway, wearing sky blue glittery wings that fluttered every time she moved. "Why not? I love them, they're fluttery."
Ginny, recognizing defeat, simply herded her children to their trunks, open and ready, waiting for them to pack their school things.
Harry appeared at Albus's doorway, "Just…delivering pre-school gifts," said Harry awkwardly.
"A love potion?"
"Ron sent that. He also sent James a comb that made his hair turn bright pink, and Lily some farting gnomes. Ron's Ron, you know? And," he hesitates for a moment. "Well, I've been thinking a lot about what to give you this year. James has been going on about the Invisibility Cloak since time itself, and I always knew Lily loved wings. I wanted to give you something meaningful - this." He produced an old, gray blanket."
Albus, taken aback, asked, "An old blanket?"
Harry laughed, "It's not just any old blanket. It was the last thing I had from my mum. I thought it had gone forever, but surprisingly, this was hidden amongst you great-aunt Petunia's possessions. Dudley found this, and kindly sent it on to me. I believe Petunia wanted me to have it. That;s why she kept it. Now, I want you to keep it."
"And do what with it? Fairy wings make sense, invisibility cloaks also make sense - but this - really?"
Harry looks slightly hurt. "Albus can we please just - "
"Hug? Or should I bow. Will a curtsy do?" Albus asked sarcastically. He wasn't sure why he was being so mean, but just wanted to be left alone.
That's when his dad lost his temper completely, "You know what? I'm done with being responsible for your unhappiness. At least you got parents."
"And you think that was unlucky? I don't." The sentence slipped out of Albus's mouth before he could fully contemplate it. "I just wish you weren't my Dad."
"Yeah?" Harry said testily, "Well, there are times when I wish you weren't my son."
There was a long silence. Albus saw that Harry realized what he just said.
"No, I didn't mean that…"
"Yes you did." said Albus. "You meant it. And, honestly, I don't blame you." Albus picks up the blanket and hurls it at the wall. It colluded with Ron's love potion. The cork popped out and it spilled over, producing a puff of pink smoke. "No love for me then," Albus said. And, before his dad could call him back, he ran out of the room.